I’m an F-1 student in the U.S. right now. Do I have to leave?

No. If you are properly maintaining status on the effective date, you are authorized to remain until the later of your program end date on your I-20 or your EAD expiration — up to four years from the effective date (about September 15, 2030). You keep your 60-day departure period. What changes is that any future extension, new program, or OPT filing goes through USCIS.

What is the four-year cap, exactly?

F and J nonimmigrants are admitted for the length of the program shown on the I-20 or DS-2019, but never more than four years. The 30 days before your program start and the 30 days after your program ends do not count toward the cap. If your program legitimately runs longer than four years, you apply to USCIS for an extension.

How do I get an extension of stay?

You file the USCIS-designated form (currently the I-539) with the fee, appear for biometrics if required, and submit an updated I-20 or DS-2019 endorsed by your school with the new program end date, plus evidence of sufficient funds. You must be maintaining status and must never have engaged in any unauthorized employment.

What counts as a good reason to extend?

A compelling academic reason — a change of major or research topic, or unexpected research problems such as a faculty advisor change, a need to refine an investigatory topic, or research funding delays. A documented illness or medical condition supported by a licensed provider. Or circumstances beyond your control, like a natural disaster, a national health crisis, or your school closing.

What is not a good reason?

Delays caused by academic probation or suspension, or a repeated inability or unwillingness to complete your course of study, are explicitly identified in the rule as generally unacceptable reasons for a program extension.

Can I still study while my extension is pending?

Yes, if you filed on time. The rule codifies that an F-1 student who timely files an extension of stay is authorized to continue pursuing a full course of study after the admission period expires, until USCIS decides. Existing on-campus, CPT, and severe-economic-hardship employment auto-extends for up to 240 days. But if you file during your 30-day departure window, you may keep studying and may not start or continue practical training or other employment.

What happens to my OPT?

Through March 18, 2027, an F-1 student recommended for post-completion OPT or STEM OPT who files the I-765 before their admission period expires does not have to file a separate I-539 extension. After that date, both filings are required unless DHS extends the exemption. If your OPT is approved, you can stay until the EAD expires, plus 60 days.

I’m a graduate student. Can I still transfer or switch majors?

Generally no. Under the new rule, an F-1 student at the graduate level or above may not change educational objectives at any point during a program of study, and may not transfer at any point, unless SEVP authorizes an exception for extenuating circumstances such as a school closure. Students below the graduate level are locked in only for their first academic year.

Can I do a second master’s degree?

Not in F-1 status, if you complete the first one after the effective date. The rule bars a student who has completed a program at one educational level from beginning another program at the same or a lower level. You can move up a level — bachelor’s to master’s, master’s to doctorate — but not sideways or down.

What if my extension is denied?

If your extension is denied and your authorized admission period has already expired, the rule states that you and your dependents must immediately depart the United States. Overstaying can trigger unlawful presence, which carries its own bars to returning.

Does this affect J-2 or F-2 dependents?

Yes. Dependents’ admission cannot exceed the principal’s, and they must either be included on the principal’s extension application or file their own. J-2 dependents who work need a valid EAD — and unlike J-1 principals, they do not get continued work authorization once the EAD expires while an extension is pending.

Is this final, or could it change?

It is a published final rule, but it is classified as a major rule subject to congressional review, and DHS says it will publish a document establishing the actual effective date — or terminating the rule — if review changes it. DHS also added severability clauses throughout, so that if a court blocks one piece the rest can still operate. A prior version of this policy was proposed in 2020 and withdrawn in 2021.

The End of Duration of Status for F-1, J-1, and I Visa Holders (2026)

Executive summary

DHS published a final rule on July 17, 2026 replacing “duration of status” (D/S) with a fixed admission period for F academic students, J exchange visitors, and I representatives of foreign information media. It is scheduled to take effect 60 days later, on September 15, 2026.

F and J nonimmigrants will be admitted for the length of their program as listed on the Form I-20 or DS-2019, but no more than four years. I media representatives will be admitted for up to 240 days (90 days for holders of a passport issued by the People’s Republic of China, other than Hong Kong SAR or Macau SAR passports).

Staying past that fixed date now requires filing an extension of stay (EOS) application with USCIS — with a fee, biometrics, an endorsed I-20 or DS-2019, and evidence of sufficient funds. A designated school official’s signature alone no longer extends your lawful stay.

The grace period for F-1 students to depart after completing studies or post-completion practical training drops from 60 days to 30 days. Students admitted before the effective date keep their 60-day period.

F-1 students at the graduate level or above may no longer change their educational objective (major or level) at any point, and may no longer transfer schools at any point, unless SEVP authorizes an exception for extenuating circumstances. Students below the graduate level are locked in for their first academic year.

Anyone who completes a program after the effective date may not start another program at the same or a lower educational level in F-1 status. English-language training students are capped at 24 months total.

Students and exchange visitors already in the United States and properly maintaining status on the effective date are grandfathered: they may remain until their program end date (or EAD expiration, whichever is later), up to four years from the effective date — approximately September 15, 2030.

DHS estimates the rule will cost $443.1 to $448.6 million per year on an annualized basis. It received close to 22,000 public comments. It is classified as a major rule subject to congressional review, and DHS built severability clauses into every section — an acknowledgment that legal challenges are expected.

What the rule says, in plain English

Right now, an F-1 student’s I-94 says “D/S” instead of a date. That means: you are allowed to stay as long as you are actually studying, and your school — not the government — tracks whether you are still in good standing. That ends with this rule.

After the effective date, your I-94 gets a real expiration date, calculated from your program length and capped at four years. If your PhD takes six years, your admission does not. You will have to ask USCIS for more time before the date runs out, pay a fee, give biometrics, and prove you have the money to continue.

The government’s reasoning: under D/S, students have no scheduled moment when an immigration officer looks at their case. DHS says it identified more than 2,100 people who first entered on an F-1 visa between 2000 and 2010 and were still in active F-1 status as of April 2025. A fixed date creates checkpoints.

The practical effect for a student in good standing is not that you have to leave — it is that a routine part of academic life (finishing late, changing your research direction, starting OPT) now runs through a federal adjudication that can be denied. And if it is denied after your admission date has passed, the rule says you must depart immediately.

One detail worth reading twice: to get an extension, you must be maintaining status and must never have engaged in any unauthorized employment. Not “not currently” — never. An old, informal, unauthorized side job from years ago becomes a live problem at your first extension filing.

This is general information, not legal advice. The rule is complex and how it applies depends on your specific status, program, and history. Confirm your own situation with a licensed immigration attorney.

What the Court held

Duration of status is eliminated for F, J, and I nonimmigrants; all are admitted to a fixed end date instead.
F and J admission is limited to the program length on the I-20 or DS-2019, not to exceed four years, plus 30 days to depart.
I media representatives are admitted for up to 240 days, or 90 days for holders of a PRC passport (excluding Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR passports).
Remaining beyond the fixed date requires an extension of stay application filed with USCIS, including a fee, biometrics, an endorsed I-20 or DS-2019, and evidence of sufficient funds.
The F-1 post-completion departure period drops from 60 days to 30 days for students admitted under the new framework.
An extension applicant must be maintaining status and must never have engaged in any unauthorized employment.
F-1 students at the graduate level or above may not transfer schools or change educational objectives at any point, absent an SEVP exception for extenuating circumstances.
F-1 students below the graduate level may not transfer or change educational objectives within their first academic year, absent an SEVP exception.
A student who completes a program after the effective date may not pursue another F-1 program at the same or a lower educational level.
English-language training students are limited to an aggregate 24-month period of stay; F-1 students at public high schools remain limited to 12 months.
Academic probation, suspension, or a repeated inability or unwillingness to complete a course of study are not acceptable reasons for an extension.
A timely filed extension lets an F-1 student continue a full course of study while it is pending, and auto-extends certain existing employment authorization for up to 240 days.
If an extension is denied after the admission period has expired, the nonimmigrant and any dependents must depart the United States immediately.